Arnhem Land find proves to be rock art of ages

Archaeologists say carbon dating shows Aboriginal rock art discovered at Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory is among the oldest in the world.

The art was rediscovered by University of Southern Queensland researchers.

The find was made after the excavation last year of part of the Narwal Gabarnmang rock shelter near the northern reaches of the Katherine River.

University of Southern Queensland professor Bryce Barker has described the work as "one of the biggest Aboriginal art galleries in Australia".

The significance of the discovery was cemented long after the discovery, when carbon dating done recently at the University of Waikato in New Zealand suggested that the paintings are about 28,000 years old.

The research team has also dated a stone axe found at the same same shelter as being 35,000 years old.

University of Southern Queensland archaeologist Bryce Barker says there is evidence that the cave where the discoveries were made had first been in human use about 45,000 years ago.

The oldest known rock art in the world was discovered at the El Castillo cave in Spain, where hand stencils have been dated as more than 40,000 years old.

Professor Barker says the Territory find is unequivocally the oldest dated rock art in Australia and also one of the earliest proven occupation sites.

He says the artwork documents the importance of animals as a food source for the people who made them.

"They draw the picture of, say, a fish, and they include the internal organs ... the backbone and swim bladder and all those kinds of things," he said.

"They are called X-ray figures because you can actually see the internal organs of the animals."

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